Temptatio11r to take mortal {tm for infirillities. 33 9: 6 2 , BV.t !Jtrt are many fubordinate Temptatio_nr by~hicb ~ataH p~rfwadu t1Jem that tht!r fins Tempt. f• Temp. 1 • ;re but infirmitin : One is , bec.Jufe the:r {i11 u hut :nthe beart, andappeareth 110t m outward deeds : And they tak,_t rdlrain~ for fanUification. ~ . . . . , . . • 1'6 9· 63. Dire[!. J, Alas man, the Life and Reign of hn IS m_th~ Htar~: 1h:tt IS Its Garn[on and Dzrel1. I· Throne : The life of fin Jyeth iq_ the prevalcn~e of your lufi~ w_1thm, a~au~fi the Power ofR~afon an_d Will. All outward fins arc but aCt:s of obedience to the rc1gnmg fin wttlnn ~ and a gatherm~ Tr!· bute for this which is the King. For this it is that they make p~ovifion, Rom. 13· 14·. On t~1s all1s <onfumed, JameJ 4 • 3• Original fih may be reigning fin (as a Kmg may be born a Kmg): Sm certainly reigneth, ti\1 the foul be converted and born agam. 9· 64. Tempt. 2. Tbe Devil tel:s them, it is but an infirmity,. becat<fe it is no optn gro{s dif&.raceful 'l'empt. 2· fin : It' 1 bard to bciieve that thty are in danger of HeU, for jinJ whtcb are accoJ_tntrd fnc~U. 9· 65. Direll. 2· But do you think it is no mortal heinous fin, to be vmd of the Love of God and Direl.l. 2. holinefs? to Love the fldh and the world above him? to fer more by Earth than Heaven, and do more for it? Howtver they {hew themfelves, tbtfe are the great and mortal fins. Sin is n?t lefs da?· gerous for tying fecret in the hearr. The root and heart are ufually. unfeen.. Some Kmgs .( as m Chin 3 , Ptrfia, &c. ) keep out of fight for the honou_r of their MaJefiy. Kmgs are the fpnng of Government, but ad-ions of S[ate arc executed by Officers. When you fee. a man go ?r. war!t,. yo~ know tha! it is fomtthingwithinwhich is the Caufe of all. If fin appeared Without, astt IS Withtn, tt would Iofe much of ics Power and Majefiy. Then Minifiers, and friends, and every good man would cafi a fione at it: bur its ficrefie is its peace. The Devil himfelf prevaileth by keeping out of fight. If he were fecn, he wouldbe lefs obeyed. So is it with the Reigning fins of the heart: Pride and Covetoufncfs may be Reigning fins, though they appear not in any notorious difgraceful courfe of life. David' 1 hiding his fin, or Rachel her Idol, made .them not the better. It is a mercy to fame men, See Jer. 4 . 14 , that God permirrctl1 them to fall into fome open fcandalous fin, which may tend to humble them, Hof 7· 6, 1· who would not have been humbled nor convinced by heart-fins alane. An Oven is hottd\ when it is flopped. 't §. 66. Tempt. 3· Satan teVs them, they are not u;1pardoned reigningjim, becau[e they arc common empt•}• in the world\: If aU that are as bad ar I muft be condemned, {Ay they, Goti hdp agreat number. • §. 67. Diretl. 3· But know you not that Reigning fin is much more cgmmon rhan Javing bf!linefr? Dzretl. 3• and that the gate is wide)and the way is broad that leadeth to dcfhud:ionl and many go in at j(? Salva· tion is as rare as holincfs: and damnation as common as Reigning fin, where it is not cured. This fign therefore makes againft you. .. . 9· 69. Tempt. 4· Eut, foith tht '1emptu, thty are frtch jint as you fee good men commit: You plJy Tempt. 4• 111 the fame ;.amu as tbey: you do hut what you foe them do ; and they are pgrdoned. . 9· 68. Direll. 4· You mufi judge the man by his works, and not the works by the man. And there Direll. 4· is more to be lookt at, than the bare matter of an act. A good man and a bad may play at the fame game, but not with the fame end, nor with the fame lo'ie t~ fport, nor fo frequendy and long to the lofs of time. Many drops may wear a f\one: Many firipes with [mall twigs may draw blood. Many mean men in a Senate ha~e been as great Kings: You may have many ot thefe little fins fet all together, which plainly make up a carnal life. ' The poll'er of a fin, is more confiderab]e than the outward !hew. A poor man if he be in the place of a Magiftrate, may be a Ruler. And a fin materially fmall,_ and fuch as better men commit, may be a li,n in Power and Rule with you, and concur with others whtch are greater. 9· 70. Tempt. 5· Eut, fait!J the 'l'emptcr, thty are but fins of Omif!ion, •nil fuch are 1101 ,.,ign· Tempt. 5• ing fiM. ' 9· 7 r. Direll. 5• Sins of Omif!ion are alwayes accompanied with fome pofitive fenfual affection 1Jirell. 5• to the creature, which diverteth the·foul, and caufeth the omiffion. And fo Omif!ion is no fmall part of the Reigning fin. The not ufing ofRea[on and rhe WiU for God, and for the mafiering of fenfualilY, is much of the flare of ungodlinefs in man. Denying God the heart and life, is no fmall fin. God made you to do good, and not only to do no harm : Elfe a Stone or Corpfe were as good a Chriftian as you; for they do lefs harm than you. If fin have a Negative Voice in your Religion, whether God O>all be worlhipped and obeyed or not, it is y9ur King: It may fhew its power as well by commanding you not to pray, and not to confider,and not to read) asfin commanding you tob~dr~l o~ fwear. The wicked are defcribed by omiilions: ~uch as wiU not feelt, after G.d: ,God u not in aU hu thoughtt, Pfal. 10. 4· Such as Jtno~ not God, and Call not on bir1ramc, Jer. ro• 2)· That hav tto truth, er mercy, or k._nowledge of Gad, HoC 4· 1. That feed not, c/oath not, vifit nOt Chrifi in his 1'0, m~ hers, Matth. 2 5· that hide their Talents, Marth. 2 S· Indeed, if God have not your hearts, the creat~re hath it ; and fo ir is omij]ion and commiffion that go together in your reigning fin. r §. 72. Tempt. 6. But,[aitb the 1empttr, thry are but fins ofignorance, and therefore they are 1:ot reign· 1empt. 6. iNg fins : At /raft you are n Jt certain that they art jin1• , 9 73· Dirtll. 6. And indeed do you not know that it is a fin to love the world bette\ than God? Direll. 6. and flc:(hly pleafure better than Gods fervice ; and Riches better than grace and holinefs? 1anij to do more for the body than for the foul,and for earth, than for Heaven? Arc you uncenain whether thefe are fins? ~nd do you n0t feel that- they arc your fim? You cannot pretend ignorance for thefe. But what caufcth your Ignorance? Is it becaufe you would fain knOw, and cannot? Do you read, and hear, and fiudy, ;:md enquire, and pray for knowledge,and yet cannot know'? Or is it not becaufe you would Dot know, orthink it not worth the paios to get it? or becanfe you love your fin? And will fuch F • wilful '
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